Pneumatic suspension device for vehicles.



J. WILLIAMSON. PNEUMATIC SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2a, 1911.

1,089,610" Patented Mar. 10, 1914,

93mins flittozum v I W freely movable member run STA ENT orrIoE.

JOHN WILLIAMSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T HARVEY E. RANIDELL AND ONE-THIRD T0 ALBERT P, STEWART, BOTH 0F BROOKLYN, NEW

YORK.

PNEUMATIC SUSI'ENSION DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

To all w]: am it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WILLIAMSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Suspen sion Devices for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates more particularly to pneumatic cushion means utilized as a spring or auxiliary spring between a frame member of the vehicle and the axle thereof, such as disclosed in my Patent No. 1,016,810, granted-February 6, 1912. I

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide simple and efiicient means having two relatively movable members one of which is adapted to be supported by and movable with the vehicle body, as for example, each spring and the other member supported by the axle in close relation to each sprini and having cushioning means interposed etweenthe two members whereby the cushioning means may be utilized to a take up shocks and receive blows in all dierections due to the wheels meeting obstruc= tions or depressions in the roadway, and at the same time so to construct the cushioning means that solid tires may be used, thus dispensing with the usual neurnatic tires and the we nd other obyectionabl'e features incident he use oi tires oi this character. v

Another object oi the invention is to provide a plurality of devices which be located and supported over the axles and at one side of each spring, each device having attachment to one oil the springs and their device also having an annular inflatable tube or ring member which surrounds the ireely movable or floating member and which has a bearing against said member on opposite sides thereof of relatively different extents, the greater bearing surface being that which normally supports the vehicle body and the smaller hearing surface to receive the shoots in a vertical direction when the vehicle body rebounds away from the axle, thus adapting the floating member perform the function a cushion and shock absorber the same time permit the hloelr or floating memher to have a relative lentjrthwise movement Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 28, 1911.

Fig,

Patented Mar. 10,1914

Serial No. 668,805.

within the casing without engaginat its pug: a part of the pneumatic cus ioning Other objects of the invention are to provide means whereby the devices and each pair of springs of the vehicle may be tied together to prevent lateral movement of the same independently of each other or lateral movement together with respectto I the axle, at the same time permitting the vehicle body and springs-to have proper ver tical movement; and to provide simple means whereby shocks or blows received at an angle to a vertical lane and which would tend to move the b0 y in a lengthwise direction may be diverted in a substantially vertical direction so that the shock or blow will be received by the cushioning device;

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and eficient device which ,may be variously located with respect to other parts of the vehicle, and which is so constructed that in many instances practically no change in vehicles as ordinarily constructed is necessary except to disconnect the springs from the axle and apply the device thereto.

A still further object of the invention is to provide device which is simple in con-- struction and which may be readily made i and assembled,

With these and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter more particularly described with reference to the so companying drawings, which form a part oi this specification, and will then be pointed out in the claims at the end of the olescription.

in the drawings, Figure l is a iragnlentery front view of motor car showing one term and arrangement oi. the cushioning means embodying the invention. SE is fragmentary sectional view through one of the axles, showing how the device is mounted upon the axle and a part of the de vice held to one or the vehicle springs. Fig,

it is a section throu *h the axle looking in a direction opposite train that shown in Fig. the casing cover being removed Fig. t is a vertical section talren on the line l J -lV Fig. 5 isv a tragrnentary plan v ew, partly broken away, oione cit the dc vices; and Ft 6 is sectional view through axle, and the said device on either or both axles may be located either above or below the same, and while especially designed for use in connection with motor cars or vehicles, the said device can be used with various vehicles so long as they employ a body and a wheel and axle.

The invention embodies the same general principle disclosed in my application hereinbefore referred to, with the addition of certain features to adapt the device particularly to certain locations and certain constructions of vehicles as will hereinafter appear, it being desirable in the construction of the device that it be so made as to be readily applied either above or below the axle and attached to the spring or other frame member and the axle, and to vehicles as ordinarily constructed with practically no change whatever.

The axle 10 has wheels 11 connected thereto in the usual way and said, wheels may have solid tires or otherwise constructed preferred. At each side of the vehicle body 12 is located an elliptical spring 13 one end of which may be held at 14 to the end of the vehicle frame 15 and the other end of said spring held to a link 16, also connected to and supportedby the vehicle frame 15 in the usual way. A casing 17 is located above the axle 10 at or adjacent each end thereof and said casing has an elongated and substantially elliptical body, the major axis of which extends in a horizontal plane lengthwise of the vehicle. The casing 17 has a wall 18 which wall has a substantially straight horizontal portion 19, semi-cylindrical parts 20 at the ends of said casing and a reentrant part 21 substantially central ofthe casing and in vertical alinement with the axle. This casing has a rear vertical wall 22 and a front wall 23, the latter serving as a cover for the casing in order that the same may be readily detachable, and said cover being held normally to the body of the casing by the end 24 of a spring detent 25. The casing has a clamping plate 26 projecting laterally therefrom and passing through this plate are bolts 27 which are engaged by a clamp or clamping member 28 adapted to span the axle 10 and thereby serve to rigidly hold the casing to the axle.

A block or device 29 is located within the casing 17 and is adapted to move freely therein in all directions and in a vertical plane entirely independent of the casing. Interposed between the casing and the block is an annular pneumatic tube 30 having an inflating valve 30 which when inflated through said valve 30 conforms to the shape of the inner surface of the casing wall 18 and thereby also has a reentrant portion 31 and a horizontal portion 32, the inner sur face of the part 31 bearing against the upper surface or part 33 of the block 29 and the horizontal portion of said tube against the lower surface of the part 34: of said block or floating member. The block 29 is elongated and may be of sheet metal to make the same light and has its ends free of the semi-cylindrical ends of the ring or cushion member, though the shape and form of the block may vary and its extent of bearing surface and character of bearing surface with the tube member 30 may be changed at will. By having the block of less length than the inner surface of the tube 30 and by having the same of the form shown, a smaller bearingsurface is provided between the block and the ring at the upper side of said block and a relatively large bearing surface at the lower part of said block. This greater bearing surface normally takes the weightof the vehicle body and by having an extended." bearing surface a less pressure in the tube is required than would otherwise be necessary, and at the same time the upper bearing sun face is of such a nature that a shock during any upward movement of the vehicle body with respect to the axle will be taken .up by the part 31 of the tube 30. It will be seen that by having the block shorter than the length of the tube, a relative lengthwise movement of the body with respect to the axle is permitted and as required under certain constructions of vehicles without the ends of the block engaging the tube which would otherwise preventsuch relative move ment.

Each casing has openings 35 in the rear wall 22 and through these walls project plates 36 and 37. These plates extend over the spring 13 and each of said plates has openings through which the ends of a clip or yoke 37 extend. The ends of the clips or yokes 37 are threaded and the body portions thereof are adapted to pass about the spring, and on the end of said threaded portions are nuts 38 by which the plates 36 and 37 are rigidly held to the spring in such a way as to support the block to move freely independent of the casing and to cause the block through the spring to be suspended from the vehicle frame or other part of the vehicle independent of the axle, though the reverse position of these parts may occur, in which case the block may be secured to the axle and the casing to the frame without departing from the nature of the invention. The plates 36 of the devices form the ends of a tie rod 39 which extend transversely of the vehicle above the axle. This tie rod serves to hold the blocks and also the springs in pairs to prevent lateral independent movement, and to the tie rod is held one end of a rod 40 the other end of said rod being held fixed to the axle, as by forming an eye so as to be passed over one of the bolts 11 serving as a securing means of the casing-holding clip or yoke 28 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This construction is necessary or desirable by reason of the fi'ict that the springs when the invention is applied to a vehicle are disconnected from the axle instead of being connected directly thereto, the cushioning means serving as the connection between the axles and the springs.

To take up shocks or blows which would ordinarily cause a lengthwise movement of the vehicle body with respect to the axle and to direct such blows in a substantially vertical plane in order that the same may be taken up and absorbed by the cushioning devices, various means may be employed. As shown, a spring 42 or other device has one end fastened at the point 14 whe're the spring 13 joins the vehicle. frame 15 and the other end is held to a fixed part of the axle, as for example under one of the clamps or clips 28 forming the means to hold the casing to said axle. It will be seen that when a wheel meets an obstruction in advance of the same and which would serve to exert a blow at an angle with respect to the vertical plane and thereby tend to cause the vehicle body to move lengthwise, the spring 42 will hold the vehicle body and axle in substantially their normal relative positions and will cause the axle to move with relation to the body in a substantially vertical plane so that the shock will be absorbed by the engagement of the part 33 of the block with the rentrant portion 31 of the pneumatic tube.

The construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. The arrangement and shape of the casing and the block is such that the normal load or strain will be between the lower surface of the block and the upper surface of the horizontal part 32 of the tube 30 and casing, for the reason that the casing being secured to the axle corresponds to the supporting member and the body being connected to the block through the frame and spring serves to force the latter downward against the tube 30 and the casing. This will serve to compress the pneumatic ring along the lower horizontal portion. If during the running of the vehicle, there is a rebound or recoil following a large depression of the spring 13, the block will be carried upward and tend to raise the axle and wheels with 0011- nected parts such as the driving shaft. This will result in compressing the part 31 of the ring 30 which lies between the upper surface of the block and the re'e'ntrant portion of the casing. This will give the action of a shock absorber and tend to absorb and neutralize therebound, thereby taking the place of all such devices as are almost necessary on vehicles of any considerable weight. The spring or device 42 or other device connected with the frame and to the axle serves further to direct the blow from an angle to a substantially vertical plane in a manner already described.

In Fig. 6 the device may be substantially thesame as already described except that the casing is supported and may be rigidly held to the axle beneath the same instead of above the axle. In this case the block will be held by bolts 43 which project laterally through openings in the casing on opposite sides thereof and these bolts may be fastened to a substantially U-shaped yoke or plate 44. also located on opposite sides of the casing. These yokes are secured by bolts 45 to clips or fastening means 46 held to the springs 13 so that the block is suspended from the spring 13, otherwise the construction may be substantially the same as already described.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that simple and efficient means is provided which may be located in various positions relative to the spring and axle of a vehicle; that the device is so constructed that it will ettectually take up shocks in all directions; that said device is simple in construction and may be readily made and assembled; that said device may be readily applied to vehicles, as motor cars, with practically no change in construction whatever; that simple means is provided for holding the device and for diverting the direction of shocks to cause the same to be properly absorbed and taken up by the device; that said device is simple in construction and may be readily made and assembled; and that said device provides simple means for dispensing with the ordinary pneumatic tire and the many objectionable features incident thereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A suspension device comprising an elongated casing having a reentrant portion, an annular pneumatic cushioning means conforming tothe shape of the casing, and an elongated block located within the cushion ing means and of less length than the interior of said cushioning means and bearing against said cushioning means in a vertical plane at but two points and otherwise free of said cushioning member.

2. A suspension device comprising an elongated casing having a reentrant porand an annular pneumatic tube conforming to the shape of the casing and interposed between the casing and the floating member and bearing against said floating member at two points and in a vertical direction and free of the floating member except at such points.

3. A suspension device comprising an elongated casing, a floating member located within the casing, and an annular vertically disposed pneumatic tube conforming to the shape of the casing and adapted to bear against the upper and lower side of said floating member and free of the ends of said floating member.

1. A suspension device comprising a casing, cushioning means, an elongated floating member having engaging surfaces of relatively difierent extents with said cushioning means and on opposite sides thereof, said floatin member being free at its ends of said cus ioning means, and means for causing said floating member to have a substantially vertical movement only.

5. In a vehicle, the combination of frame and axle members, pneumatic means com-' prising a casing, a block movable in the easing and cushioning means arranged between the block and casing, said block contacting with the cushioning means at but two points and otherwise free thereof, and a flat spring attached at one end to the frame member and the other end to the axle member to prevent movement of the axle lengthwise of the vehicle and direct the movement of the axle vertically.

6. In a vehicle, the combination of axle and frame members, a casing, a relatively movable block located in the casing and independently secured one to the frame memher and the other to the axle member, one of said members secured to each of the vehicle springs, cushioning means arranged between the block and casing, said block contacting with the cushioning means at but two points and otherwise free thereof, a tie rod extending transversely of the vehicle- 

